Selling vegetables to educate wife, a moving story of Gopal Mahat

Gopal Mahat just turned 24 and is a local denizen of Ghagar Village of Badimalika Municipality in Bajura. This young and energetic man with a high school education passes almost all his day in his vegetable farm. Gopal lives in a family of five along with his parents, wife and a child. He is among a very few men in Bajura who support their wives in pursuing higher studies. Gopal makes a special exception because he also takes care of his new born to let his wife study. If we look at Nepal’s rural societies, women’s career stops before it even starts mainly due to patriarchal mindsets. And Gopal sets a beautiful example of breaking the odds.

Gopal Mahat with his wife in front of their home

I am living my dreams through my wife by educating her – Gopal Mahat

However, only a few years ago, his life was full of hardship. After completing school, he borrowed some money to continue with high school but the loan money was not sufficient to support his education since he also had a family to look after. So he decided to be engaged in an income generation. Clueless about what to do, Gopal came across a demonstration on cultivation of tomatoes under plastic roofing for better yield conducted by the POSAN FS project. He was quite impressed with the practice and decided to give it a hand. He then cultivated tomato, brinjal, cucumber and some other vegetables in one ropani land (1 Ropani = 508.83771 m²) land he owned. Each season then, Mahat’s yields kept multiplying and he decided to continue cultivation of vegetables and expand the business further. So he added some more land in lease.

Gopal working at his vegetable farm

In the spring of 2016, he cultivated tomato, capsicum, some leafy vegetables and coriander in more than four ropani land taken in lease. Mahat made use of improved varieties, micro-irrigation and other improved farming technologies due to which his annual income has increased by about six folds. Mahat shares,

“I earned NPR 25,000 (£186) only in four months’ time. Also due to creation of market with support from POSAN FS project in form of collection centres here in Rapka, sales has been easier for me. In 2016 alone, I sold fresh vegetables worth NPR 1, 00,000 (£745). This money has not just helped improve my living standard but my dream to support my wife’s education is being fulfilled.”

Fresh tomatoes ready for harvest inside the tunnel house at Gopal’s farm

Improved irrigation techniques have helped Gopal increase the production

Mahat has paid back his entire loan and is also paying premium regularly for his child’s life insurance. Most of all, he is supporting his wife’s education which he said is his dream. Though it was challenging for him to study, he wanted to live his dream when he wanted due to financial crisis, he wants to support his wife’s education in every way possible. He shared us that his main motivation towards working hard for better income was to see his wife getting a good degree in future. His wife is getting a promising results in her studies and wants to become a civil service employee after gradating. He is looking forward to further widen his agri-business in the coming years and of course invest more in educating his wife. As an educated young farmer of Bajura, Mahat is also gaining popularity for improved farming practices as he had been involved in many varietal and improved farming practice demonstrations at his farm in coordination with POSAN FS project.

Gopal’s wife preparing for her exams

By investing his income, time and effort for his wife’s education, Gopal is not just helping her get a better future but is setting a milestone in breaking stereotypes of Nepal’s rural patriarchal perspective. Where women after their marriage almost loose all their identities, Gopal is helping his wife build one. He is passionate about the way she reads and writes as he sees her in a better position as an empowered women in the village. What he is doing is quite bold for where he belongs and is worth sharing far and wide.

POSAN FS project recently concluded in four district of the far-west, Bajhang, Doti, Achham and Bajura. The project was co-funded by the European Union.